Crescent Maille :: News

a.k.a., Academy Lace. The Academy Lace pattern is an original design by Crescent Maille. This new necklace, a single segment of the Academy Lace pattern, so resembles a puzzle piece that the name seemed inevitable. Crescent Maille’s original lace designs are based on the Japanese style of chain maille weave. Academy Lace features three sizes of rings in a delicate, symmetrical, subtle design. All rings are doubled for strength.

Crafted from 19 and 20 gauge sterling silver rings, the lace segment is 3/4-inch long (19mm) and just under 1/2-inch wide (7mm). Strung on a 16 inch sterling silver cable chain (1.5mm wide), but you can substitute an 18 or 20 inch cable chain if you prefer.

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These classic Crescent Maille necklaces used to come on a pelline chain (a.k.a., a ball or bead chain), but rising prices by suppliers for finished chains caused me to realize that they are better offered on a cable chain to help keep the list price down (though a pelline chain upgrade is available, if desired). I’ve relisted them at the Etsy shop with updated photos; newly photographed, I think these necklaces are worth taking a another look at…

July 17 marks Crescent Maille’s 3 year Etsy-versary! To celebrate, I’m offering 3 specials at the Etsy shop during the month of July:

The first 3 customers with purchases over $100 will receive a $33 gift certificate towards their next order.

On July 17, the first 3 sales will be 17% off (that’s 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Etsy time [EST]). Items that already have a 10% discount will be increased to 17%. (The discount will be refunded to you via PayPal after payment.)

Everyone who makes a purchase during the month of July will be entered to win the pendant, necklace, or earrings of their choice, up to $33 in value (including those earrings in the “for charity” section of the shop). The winner will be chosen randomly and notified August 1 by convo & e-mail.

Thanks for all your support for the past 3 years!

I’m currently going through all of my listings in the Etsy shop and recalculating prices. Previously, for example, the list price for a custom-made bracelet was up to (in most cases) 8.5 inches in length. However, since I last set my prices, silver prices have gone up. At the same time, I realized that there could be a more accurate way to price custom-made bracelets and necklaces. I’m now changing the prices to reflect a specific length (with a slight range). I’m calculating the prices for almost all bracelets based on a length of 7 to 7.75 inches, and woven necklaces at 18 inches. However, I can make them in any length you choose.

The advantage to this: in nearly every case the price is at least slightly lower for the average length bracelet and necklace, despite the increase in supply costs over the past couple years. For example, if you want a 6.5 inch bracelet, you’re not paying a price that is based on a longer bracelet. For each listing, I give an approximate price per half-inch (or per inch, for woven necklaces), should you want to order a longer or shorter piece. For example, a 21 gauge Byzantine bracelet (1/8-inch wide), 7 to 7.75 inches in length, is $100 with free shipping. For a different length, the price per half-inch is approximately $6. So, if you’d like an 8.5 inch bracelet, the price would be approximately $109. If you’d like a 6.5 inch bracelet, approximately $94.

A note on some of the “classic” pendant-style necklaces: the Mobius-7, Mobius Charm, Dodecahedron, and Spiral Necklace all used to come with a pelline chain (also known as a ball chain or a bead chain). However, I use finished sterling silver chains from jewelry suppliers, and their prices have also increased. The price for a pelline chain is surprisingly more expensive than a cable chain. I’ve decided to change these necklaces (and potentially others) so that they come standard with a cable chain, but I am offering a pelline chain upgrade that you can add to your order if you’d prefer that to the cable chain. As a result, these necklaces — with a cable chain — now cost less.

I’m still working on the revised pricing and hope to finish soon. Everything with a listing date of 17 June or later has been revised. In the meantime, if you’re interested in a listing that doesn’t reflect the new pricing scheme, contact me for a quote. And take a new look at some of your favorites — you might find that something on your wishlist has now gone down in price!

A new necklace at Crescent Maille, the Knotted Blues Necklace is made with knots of graduated blue-hued anodized niobium rings on a sterling silver snake chain. Niobium — element no. 41— is a strong metal, with a weight similar sterling silver (not light like aluminum, which is the colored metal more often seen used in chain maille). Niobium is colored by passing an electrical current through it — no dyes are involved. The colors are rich, deep, intense and metallic.

Now available in the Etsy shop.

Well, sort of a new weave — the Flower Chain is the same weave as the Mobius Chain: mobius knots made of three interwoven rings are connected by pairs of smaller rings. The Mobius Chain is made of 16 gauge rings; the Flower Chain is made of smaller, more delicate 18 gauge rings. Now in the shop you can find both a bracelet and a necklace in the Flower Chain (as well as in the Mobius Chain, for that matter). The Flower Chain is just over 1/4-inch wide (8mm).

This month over at EtsyStalker.com, Crescent Maille is giving away your choice of any necklace in the shop up to $55 in value. All you need to do is leave a comment on the Crescent Maille Shadowbox Page. You can comment up to once a day to increase your chances. The winner will be notified July 4th. Good luck, and comment often!

The Vertebrae Weave: an aptly named ingenious single-row adaptation of the Kingscale weave.

The bracelet, made of traditional round rings: animal, vegetable or mineral — what does it conjure up for you? Whatever it may seem, it’s for certain a unique and fascinating design. Extremely flexible, it will drape fluidly over your wrist, utterly comfortable. The bracelet is 1/2-inch wide (19mm). It fastens with an oval shaped lobster-style clasp. Made entirely of sterling silver.

The pendant, made of pairs of square wire rings held together by pairs of diamond wire rings: it looks modern, slightly futuristic, a little steampunk, and totally unique. The facets of the wire catch the light and make this a subtle but exciting piece. The pendant is 1/2-inch wide (19mm) and 1-1/4 inches long (33mm). It’s made from sterling silver rings, and hangs from an 18-inch sterling silver cable chain.
A 16 or 20 inch cable chain can be substituted if you prefer.

Both are available in the Etsy shop.

The Clover Earrings (a segment of the Barrel Weave) were introduced to the Crescent Maille line last November. Now I’ve added a new version, in a larger size. The original pair is made of 18 gauge rings and just under 1/2-inch long. The larger pair is made of 18 gauge and just over 1/2-inch long. Now available in the Etsy shop.